Dan Koh Wins Massachusetts Primary, Supported by Biden and Harris

Dan Koh, a former aide in the Biden administration, secured victory in a primary race in Massachusetts. This win sets him on a promising path to the House of Representatives come November. Koh led the field among six candidates vying to replace Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., who concluded his House service following a failed Senate bid against Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

Koh received endorsements from both former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. This support follows his tenure in the White House, where he served as chief of staff to then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. He also held roles as deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

This primary victory isn’t Koh’s first congressional run. In 2018, he narrowly lost the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts’ 3rd Congressional District to Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass. Koh’s campaign promotes progressive policies such as the elimination of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and advocating for universal healthcare.

Now, Koh is set to succeed Moulton in the 6th Congressional District. This district covers the northeastern part of Massachusetts and is considered a safe Democratic seat.

Moulton, a former Marine Corps member, represented the district since 2015. His recent Senate campaign involved a challenging primary against Markey, who has been in office since 2013. Moulton argued for generational change, claiming that Markey failed to deliver substantial improvements for Massachusetts residents. However, Markey retained strong support from prominent progressive figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Koh aligns with the establishment left. His father, Howard Koh, served as an assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services under former President Barack Obama. Koh’s uncle also held positions in the Obama and Clinton administrations.

In the upcoming election, Koh will compete against Republican candidate Micah Jones, a military veteran who runs unopposed in his primary.